Anti-cancer RNA aptamers

Abstract

Provided herein, inter alia, are compounds capable of binding HSP70 (e.g. mHSP70) on a cell and internalizing into said cell. The compositions provided herein may be useful for delivering therapeutic and diagnostic agents to a cell. Further provided are pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treatment using nucleic acid compounds provided herein.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of delivering a compound into a cell, the method comprising:
 (i) contacting a cell surface HSP70 with a compound comprising an HSP70 ligand moiety; and 
 (ii) allowing said compound to pass into said cell thereby delivering said compound into said cell; 
 wherein said compound comprises an RNA sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:1 and wherein said compound does not comprise a nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6 or SEQ ID NO:7. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cell surface HSP70 is a cell surface mHSP70. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising detecting said compound in said cell thereby detecting said cell. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said compound further comprises a therapeutic agent or an imaging agent. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein said therapeutic agent is an antibody, a peptide, a nucleic acid or a small molecule. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , wherein said imaging agent is a bioluminescent molecule, a photoactive molecule, a metal or a nanoparticle. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said HSP70 ligand moiety comprises the sequence of SEQ ID NO:8. 
     
     
       8. A method of delivering a compound into a cell, the method comprising:
 (i) contacting a cell with a compound and a nucleic acid compound, said nucleic acid compound comprising an RNA sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:1 and not comprising a nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6 or SEQ ID NO:7; and 
 (ii) allowing said nucleic acid compound to bind to a mHSP70 on said cell and said compound to pass into said cell, thereby delivering said compound into said cell. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein said compound is a therapeutic agent or an imaging agent. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein said therapeutic agent is an antibody, a peptide, a nucleic acid or a small molecule. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , said imaging agent is a bioluminescent molecule, a photoactive molecule, a metal or a nanoparticle. 
     
     
       12. A method of treating pancreatic cancer, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a nucleic acid compound comprising an RNA sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:1,
 wherein said nucleic acid compound does not comprise an RNA sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6 or SEQ ID NO:7; and 
 wherein said nucleic acid compound further comprises a therapeutic moiety attached to said RNA sequence. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein said therapeutic moiety is an anticancer agent moiety. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein said therapeutic moiety is a C/EBPalpha saRNA moiety. 
     
     
       15. A method of treating pancreatic cancer, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of an anticancer agent and a nucleic acid compound comprising an RNA sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:1,
 wherein said nucleic acid compound does not comprise an RNA sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6 or SEQ ID NO:7.